This morning Sea Cloud offered us a beautiful view of the sacred island of Delos, the birthplace of Apollo and his twin sister, Artemis. The tender took us ashore. There were no other visitors at this hour, and the early sun gave the island a mystic atmosphere.
We started our tour with a brief overview of the legend associated with the island, the history of the place, and the importance of it in the Greek culture. A slow-paced walk took us first to the residential area, where we strolled the narrow streets of the once-thriving town. We visited the houses, the shops, and the theater. We returned to the port before continuing our visit to the religious section, to see the remains of this very important religious center of the ancient world.
The Naxian lions still guard the place—in the middle of what was once a sacred lake—where Leto gave birth to the two gods. Our walk ended next to the museum, giving people the chance to wander on their own before returning to the harbor and the tender that would take us back to our vessel. Lunch was waiting for us back on board, and we ate as we sailed toward the island of Amorgos. We arrived at Amorgos around 7 p.m., closing a perfect day with a perfect view of the Katapola harbor.
